Using the verb 'to win' is reductive: PSG crushed Marseille on Sunday night in a tremendously lopsided classic due to the enormous superiority of the Parisians. There were five goals, but it could have been 10. And no, it's not an exaggeration: Paris Saint Germain made half a dozen accurate shots, hit the woodwork four times, and saw goalkeeper Lange stop at least three balls that were destined for the net. It was a superb game from the men and boys of the capital. Rotating to the limits, positional exchanges, triangulations, and an attitude typical of predators: the more they smelled the blood of their prey, the greater and deadlier their attacks became. A team only plays what the other allows it to play, and Marseille is still wounded in pride and many other things (and their elimination in the Champions League against Benfica contributed significantly to this), but it seems that PSG is back in form, that devouring team that last season steamrolled over everything and everyone and ended up winning the Champions League for the first time in its history. With Nuno Mendes, João Neves, and Vitinha in the starting eleven, Luis Enrique once again relied on the attacking trio formed by Doué, Dembelé, and Barcola, leaving Kvaratskhelia and Gonçalo Ramos on the bench. Against a rival that presented a line of three center-backs, it was clear from the start that the marking and positioning of the southern French team were doomed to failure. Nuno Mendes was one of the culprits: the left-back was like a TGV, starting the play near his area, passing to one of the midfielders, and five seconds later he was already receiving the ball in the opposing area. Thus, the first goal was born (12’), with the Portuguese putting Dembelé face-to-face with the opposing goalkeeper. From there, it was a festival, a lesson on how to dominate an opponent, confusing them to the point of despair. Opportunities arose almost every three minutes, not even the time for a song could interrupt Lange's suffocating sensations. Dembelé then had a moment of genius: receiving a ball from the right side, he charged into the area, dribbled past two opponents with a divine foot exchange, and shot to a part of the goal that few dare to aim for: placing the ball just past the goalkeeper's head. Brilliant. At halftime, the two-goal lead felt insufficient in Paris. And the re-entry onto the field was overwhelming, to the point that it seemed like men against children. The game was only taking place in 40 meters, João Neves was close to making it 3-0, but the goalkeeper took away his smile, though it wouldn't be long before the midfielder forced an own goal from Medina. The Marseillais were lost in PSG's carousel, and the entry of the substitutes had an even worse effect: Kvaratskhelia came on and scored; Lee Kang-in came on and scored; Kvaratskhelia hit the crossbar, Nuno Mendes did too, and Nuno Mendes appeared again in front of Lange and allowed the save… It was only five, it could have been ten. Beware, Europe: in February, just as Luis Enrique promised, the great PSG is back.
Using the PSG remains central to this story.
Using the PSG remains central to this story.
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